TRAINERS
by FlowerInDarkness
Summary: Ten years after her abrupt departure, Misty and Ash meet again. Ash is a part of TRAINERS, a group dedicated to eradicating criminals who threaten everyday life. Misty is placed under the Protection Program after a run-in with Team Rocket, and who is the person placed in charge of her? The same man who broke her heart all those years ago...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

Misty stares at Ash in wonder.

Or at least she _thinks_ it is Ash. She's not entirely sure. The last time she's seen him was when he was still a scrawny kid. A skinny boy who was so optimistic about the world and ran head first into every situation. But that was ten years ago.

This was _now_.

The figure that stands before her is golden tanned. Muscles strained against the black shirt he wore. He grew taller. She used to be taller than him when they were younger but now he towered over her a good head length. The top of her head only reached his shoulder. Messy black hair peeked out under the black cap he wore. He had grown into a rugged, hot man.

Her eyes finally reached his face. His chocolate brown eyes shows as much surprise as she was to see him again. He snapped out of it when an explosion sounded near to him. He tackled her and they both fell to the ground.

"Get down," he hissed into her ear. Misty slightly shivered from his proximity, she cursed inwardly that Ashy-boy now has this kind of effect on her.

A round of gunfire throttled next to where they hid. Ash clamps his hand over her mouth, afraid that she might give their position away. He pulls her tight to him as they seek refuge around the corner from where the action is.

The Team Rocket grunts were clearly outnumbered by the Trainers. Even against the odds, they continue to open fire against the Trainers. The grunts have exhausted their Pokémon so they can only rely on firepower now. It won't be long before they run out of bullets too. Until then, the Trainers will just have to hold out.

Ash sighs. He was hoping they would be able to minimize the damage on the surrounding area but now that's out of the question. Ash began to map out the home route in his head.

Suddenly, Misty shifted.

They were sitting against the brick wall in an ally. He kept her pinned to his chest. She was nestled against him, with a leg spread out on each side of her. So when she shifted, she unknowingly brushed against his crotch.

Ash let out a disgruntled sound. Misty turned around to see what the matter was. Ash clenched his eyes tightly as the sensation ebbed away. Worst timing ever. How unprofessional of him.

When he opened his eyes again, Misty gasped at how dark they look now. His eyes revealed a bit of lust swirling around in him. He closed his eyes again and the next time he reopened them, they returned to that chocolate brown again.

"Stop squirming."

Misty could only nod in response.

Ash could hear the gunfire sounds dying so he could only assume that Team Rocket was retreating now. He stood up and peeked around the corner. Sure enough, there was only a few more grunts left and they quickly fled the scene. Trainers cheered for the victory.

Misty got up from the floor and dusted herself off. A hand firmly grips her upper arm and she turns to look at Ash.

"You're coming with me."

* * *

"Ms. Waterflower is it?"

The inquirer came from her right but she refused to turn to him. She faced straight ahead, her eyes locked onto the raven-haired man in front of her. His eyes narrowed in response.

_A staring contest? _One of his eyebrows raised in question

Misty kept her expression devoid of emotion. She cannot let the chaos inside of her show. A multitude of emotions raged inside of her. For starters, she felt confused as hell. Just a couple of hours ago, she walked into a crossfire between Team Rocket and Trainers. Instead of letting her go like the other witnesses, Ash dragged her to come to their base. She felt the old anger at Ash flare up again. They had ended on a bad note the last time they saw each other. But somewhere deep inside, she knows she is excited to see Ash again.

Deep, _deep _inside.

Anger, confusion, and hurt muddled up the emotion. Years of bitterness doesn't melt away with one look.

_He probably doesn't care. _Misty decided to store the emotions away for now. This was not the time and place for confrontation.

The man on the right clears his throat again. Misty slowly turns her attention to him. The Trainer appears visibly nervous and reaches up to mess with his tie. Hmm. Time to tone down the glare.

"Is it true that you have recently found a potion that will significantly increase water Pokémon strengths?"

"That's correct. But the Optimi potion has a drastic side effect. It can cause the Pokémon to go into a violent frenzy." Misty pauses to draw in a breath. "Due to the sudden stat change, the said Pokémon will feel unstable and easily irritated. Their body hasn't had time to mature to accommodate it so the Pokémon will go into a frenzy. I am currently gathering more research on the matter."

Misty earns a couple of looks with renewed respect and nods around the table. Ash just stares at her blankly. She returns his stare.

A tanned man booms with his laughter. He sits next to Ash at the center of the semicircle. Misty gave him a genuine smile.

"You've been busy, Misty," Brock says.

"So have you, co-founder of Trainers." Misty counters. Apparently, sometime after her departure from the group, Ash and Brock founded the secret group Trainers. Trainers is a group of elite Pokémon trainers who have sworn fight against rogue groups such as Team Rocket. The have bases stationed all over the Kanto region. The one Misty was at right now was the Trainers Headquarters, hidden deep within Mount Silver.

"Well, look at where your work lead to." Ash spoke up.

Misty glares at him, "What do you mean?"

Ash leans forward on his chair. "Did you think that there was a Team Rocket attack just coincidentally where you were?" He shakes his head. "No, they were going to kidnap you and use you, Mist."

A twang of pain hits her heart when he used her nickname but she ignores it. "So, I wasn't ever going to help them, if that's what you're implying. I can protect myself."

"Oh, can you now? They are not the weak Pokémon thieves back ten years ago anymore! They are murderers, arsonists, and rapists! Those people would have tortured you into submission."

Misty was stunned into silence. Ash closed his eyes and tried to calm himself again. The rest of the directors and Brock were silent also.

"This is what I love to do, Ash." Misty stares at him. "I am going to be a water Pokemon master. A little setback like this will not discourage me from my dream. I am not going to abandon my dream for anyone."

Ash's head lowered. He gave a tiny nod as he processed her words. A second later and he excuses himself from the conference room.

Brock breaks the somber atmosphere. "Well, Misty, since we know that Team Rocket is now targeting you, I'm placing you under the Trainers Protection Program." He saw her begin to protest but cuts her off. "Please, Misty. It will give me a peace of mind to know one of my best friends is safe."

Misty sighs reluctantly and nods. Since she was staying here, it was inevitable that she would have more encounters with Ash.

* * *

AN: Hi! This is my first ever fanfiction. Reviews are certainly welcome. Hope you stick around for more!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.

* * *

"I'm going to go confirm your living arrangement, Misty." Brock approaches Misty as the rest of the directors leave the conference room. She sat on the lone chair, rubbing her temples. Brock felt sympathetic to her. Her life has suddenly taken a turn for the dangerous side. But he knew the fiery redhead will survive. "Why don't you take a tour of the base?"

Misty stands up. "Thanks, Brock."

He gives her a smile. "No problem, Misty. What are friends for?" He leads Misty out into the hallway and into the rec room.

"Here's the rec room. Down the hall to the left is the cafeteria and the other side is the gym. Careful, the rest of the base stretches for a few miles so try not to get lost." Misty gives him a playful punch. Brock laughs. "Someone will come by later to lead you to your room. I have some paperwork to do so I'll see you later."

"Yes, sir." Misty gives him a mock salute and goes over to give him a hug. Brock hugs her back.

"While you're here, try not to kill Ash."

"No promises." Misty mumbles against his chest.

Brock chuckles. He breaks the hug and walks down the hallway. Misty turns and goes into the rec room.

* * *

Brock wanders through the halls in search for his friend. Passerby Trainers says they have seen Ash walking towards the indoor shooting range. He worries what seeing Misty again will do to him.

Ten years ago, the trio were journeying through the Sinnoh region. Misty rejoined their group after Ash's time in Hoenn. Misty and Ash clashed over every issue, big and small. Pokémon, directions, and even food. Misty won most of the battles but he knew Ash lets her win. The tension was clear but neither of them wanted to make the first move.

Then one day, Misty disappeared. They had stayed the night in Hearthome City's Pokémon Center. Next morning, Nurse Joy informed them that Misty had left early morning. The only thing she left for them was a card with one word: _Goodbye._

Ash became a wreck. He repeatedly tried to call Misty but she wouldn't pick up the phone. Her sisters would give him a lame excuse like 'She went out' or the famous 'She's PMSing. Don't disturb her!' It was funny when Violet tried to use that alibi twice a month. Eventually, Ash gave up. Half a year later, Ash began to pick up the pieces. It took a long time, but Brock knew there is still some wounds left.

Brock grimaces. He didn't know what happened between the two of them but it couldn't have been pretty. He kept in touch with Misty, calling her whenever Ash's back was turned. Whenever he tries to ask what happened, Misty clams up and avoids the question.

Brock grabs a pair of silencing earmuffs and walks into the shooting range. Ash was the lone shooter. He was handling a sniper rifle, each one of his shots land on the target. There was a big gaping hole where the forehead of the of the silhouette should be. Brock leans against the wall as he waits for Ash to finish.

After he used up his magazine, Ash finally turned to his friend. He pulled out his ear plugs while Brock did the same with his ear muffs. Still silent, Ash walked out into the hallway with Brock tailing him.

"I want you to be Misty's bodyguard."

"No." Ash didn't hesitate.

"Ash, the both of you are familiar with each other. It'll make protecting her a lot easier if we stick her with someone she knows."

"Brock, I don't think you notice, but Misty and I don't have the best relationship now." Sarcasm dripped from Ash's words.

Brock rounded him and halted Ash's pace with a hand on his chest. Ash took one look at his partner's face and sighs. No way can he deny what was coming next.

"Do you remember what it was like when Misty disappeared? You were a miserable wreck, buddy. You ate and walked like a zombie. You neglected your Pokémon! I had to deal with your shit for six whole months. Don't tell me you've gotten over her. Because you haven't. I don't know what happened between you two, but I can see it in your eyes. You still care about her."

Brock stared straight into Ash's eyes. Ash looked down at the truth of his words. He was defeated. He knew already, Misty and him would inevitably meet again and again while she's at the base.

"What if she doesn't want to room with me?"

"No choice. All our other rooms are occupied, so we'll just stick her with you for now." Brock claps him on the back. In a low voice he added, "Take this time to work out your differences: Tie up loose ends. I miss my old buddy."

Brock walks down the hallway to his office. "Until then, do try to not tear down the base." Brock waves farewell.

Ash groans and walks to his room like a prisoner sentenced to death.

* * *

Misty takes a look around the rec room. On one side there is a bar with several bottles of alcoholic drinks and spirits lined up behind the counter. A pool table and Foosball table occupy the area near the bar. An entertainment center was on the other side of the room, complete with sofas, a giant plasma TV, and state-of-the-art sound system.

Misty walks over to sit on the barstool. She lets out a huge sigh. The oncoming days will be hard for her. Being stuck inside a mountain was not one of the things she planned to do this week. Neither was getting ambushed by Team Rocket. Neither was meeting Ash again.

She continues to brood over her predicament when she felt something furry nudge her arm resting on the counter.

"Eek!" Misty jumps out of the barstool, thinking it was a bug that touched her. A pikachu was staring at her. Recognition shown in its eyes as the pikachu leaped into Misty's arms.

"Chaaaa..." Pikachu nuzzles its face into Misty's neck.

"Aww, Pikachu! I missed you too." Misty hugs the yellow furball. "How have you been, buddy?"

Pikachu gave an annoyed expression and pouted. Electricity sparked from her cheek pouches. "Chu..."

Misty gave a nervous laugh. "Sorry, I left so suddenly. I should have said goodbye to you at least." Pikachu lets it go and just nuzzles against Misty. Tears began to form in Misty's eyes as she recalls the friendship she and Pikachu had, in doing so, also recalling memories of the Pokemon's trainer...

"Hiya, Misty!"

Misty turns to where the voice in the doorway spoke. A man with auburn hair grinned at her. He wore dark clothing, the color of choice among Trainers. Misty didn't have a clue to who he was until a pikachu with a tuff of fur on its head appeared on the trainer's shoulders.

"Ritchie!" Misty gasped. Sparky gave a sound of joy and went over to greet Misty. Misty bent down to rub the Pokemon's head. Pikachu jumped down to greet Sparky also. The two of them lock tails and shook. They bounded off down the hallway.

"Wow, how many years has it been?"

Misty stood back up. "Too long, of course."

Ritchie grinned. "I couldn't believe it when Brock told me that you were in the base. So what made you want to join Trainers?"

"I'm not a Trainer." Ritchie gave her a quizzical look. Misty explains, "Team Rocket is after me so I'll be spending some quality time here."

"Oh," Ritchie gave it some thought. "Well that sucks! I thought we could go on missions together." He gave a pout. Misty giggles at his expression. "Anyway, Brock asked me to lead you to your room." He extended his left arm. "Shall we?"

"Lead the way." Misty loops her arm through and they stroll down the hallway. The pair take numerous turns on their way. Misty wonders how anyone will find their way around this maze but she guesses after spending days down here, one will eventually get the hang of it. _Left, Right, Left, Left, Right, Straight._ Eventually they reach an elevator. They walk inside the car. Ritchie presses a button for floor '1.'

"You live on the top floor, Ritchie?"

"No, I wish. The view is amazing. But it's not me you're bunking with." Ritchie purses his lips and refuses to say anymore. Misty is bemused. Ritchie told her they didn't have any empty rooms to lend her so she was going to share it with someone. If it's not Ritchie, then it couldn't be...

The elevator dinged and came to a stop. Even though the elevator was at a standstill, she could feel her stomach drop. _No, Brock wouldn't do this to me._

The doors open into a foyer-like room. A set of black wooden double doors lay at the other side. Ritchie walks towards it and Misty follows behind slowly. Ritchie presses a doorbell and waits. Misty felt nauseous as a raven-haired man answers and appears in the doorway. He was half-naked. His chest was bare and a pair of dark washed jeans hung from his hips. Water drips down from the side of his face.

Both Ash and Ritchie look at her expectantly. Misty realizes a second later that they were waiting for her reaction.

"No." Misty shakes her head. Ash raised one of his eyebrows again. "I am not staying with you. C'mon, Ritchie. Let's go take a walk." Misty tries to tug Ritchie back into the elevator. Ash's eyes zeroed in at their joined arms. A look flashed in his eyes but it quickly disappeared. His eyes harden into black stones.

"Hm. Didn't know you two were together."

"Excuse me," Misty's voice grew in volume.

"Ash, we're just friends." Ritchie gave a sheepish grin.

"Hm. Could have fooled me." Ash crosses his arms and leans on the doorway. He raised one of his eyebrows again.

Misty fumed at the way he looked at her. Like she was a brainless girl who didn't deserve one ounce of his respect. It made her feel inferior to him and that angered her.

Misty unhooked her arm from Ritchie and marched right up to Ash. Ash stood his ground and met her eyes, she was a good head shorter than him so it amused him to see her so angry. It was like angering a kitten. He took care to keep his expression stoic though.

"What is your deal, Ash? You've been so rude ever since I stepped foot in the base."

"My deal? You know damn well _what_ my deal is."

"No, I don't. So please help me because I'm not a freaking mind reader!"

"Don't play dumb! I think you know exactly what I'm talking about."

The two got into a heated argument while Ritchie stood off to the side. Brock had warned him that this was going to happen but he didn't expect the intensity of it. He tried to discreetly edge towards the waiting elevator when Misty turns to look at him.

"Whatever, Ash! I'm going to stay with Ritchie." Misty spins around and walks the few steps to the elevator.

"Even if you want to, you can't. He's already got a roommate."

Misty looks over to Ritchie for confirmation, who nods in response. "Well, I'll go tell Brock to reassign me to someone else."

Ritchie leaned over to Misty and whispers, "Um, your belongings are already sent to Ash's room, Misty. It would take some time to find you another roommate and with limited space..."

Misty looks up in horror. Ash stares back with a blank expression. She was trapped. Brock, that meddling match-maker. The older man must have planned this out. Misty sighs in resignation.

Ritchie squeezes her shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" He walks to the elevator. It closes and soon descends, leaving Misty with Ash alone.

Ash turns and walks back into his room, leaving the door open as a silent invitation for Misty. Misty walks through the doorway, feeling as if she's just been sentenced to hell.

* * *

AU: Reviews are welcome! How am I doing so far? I never thought writing a story would take so much work. I appreciate every writer out there who make an effort to put their thoughts and wonderful imagination to print. Huzzah!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

Ash's place was very modern.

It was a studio type. The entire back of his room was filled with ceiling to floor windows, although it is obscured by black curtains. His couches and chairs were black leather. A flat screen TV hung on the brick wall. His large bed was off in the corner, slightly raised and hidden behind a few apparitions. White sheets and pillows cover the bed. Plenty of room for rolling around. A doorway led to the bathroom and the kitchen was on the other side.

Misty's belongings lay beside the bed. A Trainer had gone to her house to retrieve her necessities. They couldn't risk letting Misty roam free yet. Her pokeballs lay on the nightstand.

Her eyes wander to the kitchen, landing on the half-naked man currently fixing a sandwich. The muscles on his back tense and flex as he felt around the fridge for a jar of mayonnaise. She felt the process was very hot, even though it was such a mundane task. Misty quickly diverted her eyes as he turns back around to face her.

He stares at her for a moment but then resumes his sandwich-making. Misty felt annoyed at the odd exchange. She walks further into the room and closes the door behind her. Ash gave no reaction. Misty walks up to the breakfast bar, across from Ash.

"Aren't you a high-ranking official here? Why don't you pull some strings and put us both out of our misery," Misty asks.

Ash didn't even look at her, "No. There is limited space at the base. We can't spare a room for you just because you have some personal issues." He turns and places the mayonnaise back into the fridge.

"I'll camp out in the rec room! Anywhere has got to be better than being stuck with a moody man who hates me."

Ash turns on her and fixed his intense gaze on her. Misty scolds herself for visibly flinching. Ash walks around the bar and gets closer to her until they were a few inches apart. Misty has a sudden urge to step back but forces herself to stand her ground. Both of his arms shot out to trap her in between him and the counter.

"First of all, you shouldn't even be here right now. This life isn't suitable for you and I'm sorry that you have to deal with all of this. If I had it my way, you would still be at your house, living out your life, and eventually fulfilling the dream of having a family in a white picket fenced house. But shit like this happens.

"Second, the rec room is not yours to take. Everyone comes and goes through there so it will be an incredible inconvenience if you suddenly declare temporary residency there.

"Third," Ash's eyes bore into hers. Chocolate brown searches emerald ones. He's looking for any kind of reaction over what he's saying. Misty stares at him wide-eyed. She didn't expect such intensity from him. "I don't hate you."

Misty gasps. "Then why are you so antagonistic towards me?"

Ash takes a moment to think. "I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"No."

"You owe me an explanation, Ash Ketchum!"

"That's rich, coming from the girl who _abandoned _me without a single word. Should we talk about _that _now?" Ash's tone takes on mocking. He waits for Misty to answer but she stares at him with a hint of fear in her eyes. Ash takes a deep breath. Inhale, Exhale. He calms down enough to ask his next question, "Why the hell have we not seen each other for the past ten years?"

"You know why," Misty spoke in a quiet voice.

"No, I don't. So please help me because I'm not a freaking mind reader." Ash throws her words from earlier right back. "Please, talk to me."

"Ash, -"

"Pikapi!" Pikachu bounds into the room. It didn't see Misty until it got closer to the pair, because Ash's whole body covered her up. Pikachu senses the tension between the two and became worried.

Slowly, Ash drops his hands down from the bar, releasing Misty. Misty blushes as she realizes how close they were until Pikachu came along. _Dammit, why am I blushing? _Fortunately for her, Ash didn't see it. He walks over to Pikachu and ruffles its fur then proceeds into the bathroom.

"The sandwiches are yours and Pikachu's" The door shuts behind him. The shower head turns on a second later. Running water can be heard through the door, effectively ending the conversation

Misty looks back and sure enough, there was two sandwiches sitting on the plate. Pikachu leaps onto the counter and takes one. Misty takes the other and bites into it. Her stomach rumbles in appreciation. She hasn't eaten since that morning before the battle. Pikachu eats beside her; its sandwich is slathered in ketchup.

Misty scarfs down the sandwich and goes to rinse out the dish. After she was done, Ash was still in the bathroom. With nothing to do, Misty makes her way over to the couch and curls up. Pikachu makes its way over to cuddle with her.

Misty was wrung out from the day's events. Yesterday, she was living a normal life of training her water Pokémon and battling overconfident trainers at the Cerulean City Gym. Now, she was a wanted woman by the nefarious Team Rocket. Add in the drama of reuniting with a certain old friend, and you get her whirlwind of a life.

Misty lets out a huge yawn.

Exhaustion soon takes over and Misty slips into sleep.

* * *

"_Oh, look at that ring! Isn't that the cutest thing ever," Misty squeals. She presses her face against the shop's window. The ring had extricate filigree around a sapphire stone. The band was white gold. It shines magnificently on the display case. "Oh, I just got to have it!"_

"_Hm?" Ash and Brock catches up to Misty. After Ash's battle for the day, they reluctantly agreed to accompany Misty to window shop. The trio have walked all over Sunyshore City, yet Misty always finds another place to shop. Misty runs ahead while the other two lag behind to talk about Pokémon strategy._

"_Oh, it's just some stupid girly jewelry," teased Ash._

"_It's not stupid! You just don't appreciate the finer things in life." Misty pouts and continues to stare longingly at the ring. Misty notices the price tag. "Six digits! It'll take me forever to save up that much."_

"_Well, that usually the price for a wedding band, Misty." Informed Brock._

"_A wedding band?" Misty glances at Ash but quickly diverts her eyes. A slight tint spreads across her cheeks. She gazes upon the ring for a few more seconds then sighs._

"_Okay, that's enough of this shop, boys. To the next one!" Misty eagerly skips off to the next store and Brock follows. Ash pauses. He stares at the ring that caught Misty's attention. His eyebrows pinch together in concentration. Unbeknownst to his friends, he was quickly adding numbers up in his head…_

* * *

Misty wakes up. She panicked for a few seconds because she didn't recognize her surroundings. But she calmed down once she remembers that she was staying at Ash's place. Black sheets were tangled around her legs. The furniture underneath her was much softer than she remembered.

_I'm in…his bed. _Misty looks around in puzzlement. She swore she was curled up on the couch. _He must have carried me over here. _The thought of her being in his arms sends a shiver through her body. Whether it was a good or bad feeling was still up in the air. Pikachu sleeps at the foot of the bed.

Misty glances over to the other half of the bed. It was empty. Misty wonders where Ash is when she hears what woke her up in the first place.

"Argh!"

The scream came from the living room. Misty hastily hops off the bed and runs over. Once she is near the couch, she sees what was going on.

Ash thrashes on the couch. His eyes are slammed shut; he was in deep sleep. The throw blanket was tangled between his legs, which were kicking and moving around. His arms move restlessly by his sides. He lets out a deep groan or scream every few seconds.

Misty feels her heart breaking. Ash was having a horrible nightmare. She stands there in shock for a few seconds while she sees him acting out his dream.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu woke up from the commotion. It watches its trainer with worried eyes and begins charging up electricity. "Pika…"

"No, Pikachu!" Misty holds out her hand to halt the attack. "I'll wake him up."

Misty edges closer to Ash but still keeps a foot or so away. She knows better than to get close to someone having a violent nightmare. Pikachu watches on with nervous eyes.

"Ash…" Misty calls out.

"Ash, wake up!" She tries calling out in a louder voice. It didn't have any effect.

"WAKE UP, ASH!" Misty uses her loudest voice, which seems to work because Ash's eyes fluttered open. He bolts upright on the couch. The entire back of his shirt is drenched in sweat. He looks disoriented for a moment before his eyes finally focused and found Misty.

"Mist." He breaths in and out heavily.

Misty looks into his eyes. There was so much going on inside of them that she couldn't make out a single emotion. His eyes were cloudy from sleep. It fades as he becomes more conscious.

"What kind of dream was that," questions Misty. Ash breaks their eye contact by turning away.

"I don't want to talk about it."

His abruptness surprised her. She felt a pang of hurt shoot through her heart. _Well, we're not close anymore. It's not my business._

An awkward silence fell between them. Pikachu senses that things have returned to normal and goes over to the recliner. It curls up and falls asleep in minutes.

Misty glances back at the bed. "Do you want to sleep on the bed?"

Ash cocks an eyebrow at her. His expression seems to say, _really?_

Misty shrugs, "As long as we both stay on our own sides, I think it will be okay. Plus, I feel bad for kicking you out of the bed." She tries to play it off as nothing, but inside, she was really nervous.

Ash contemplates this for a few moments then nods. "Sure, let me grab a shirt."

He makes his way over to a drawer and takes out a black shirt. Ash peels the one he's currently wearing off and tosses it in the hamper inside the bathroom. He walks over to the bed and crawls under the sheets. Misty was already in bed, waiting. She follows him with her eyes as he moves around the room. Once he got settled in, Misty turns her back to him. Ash does the same.

"Goodnight," whispers Misty.

An eternity of silence passed. She was barely conscious when she catches his quiet reply, thinking it was a dream.

"Goodnight, Mist."

* * *

AN: As always, reviews are welcome. ;] No matter how long they are, thank you.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon

* * *

Misty woke up to sunlight streaming in from the windows.

The curtains were drawn back, revealing a magnificent view of the Kanto region. Land stretches as far as the eye could see. The sun peeked along the horizon, casting a warm glow over the area. It was breath-taking. Who wouldn't want to wake up to this every day?

Misty turns her head to look at Ash, who was still sleeping soundly. His chest rose and fell gently. The sheets pooled around his waist, revealing his upper body. The black T-shirt stretched snugly over his pecs and cinched in the right places, giving away the fit body underneath.

Misty tore her eyes away and stretches her arms above her head.

There weren't any more surprises in the night. They slept in their respective sides. No one woke up screaming or thrashing in their nightmares. Misty grew worried. What kind of dream would make a grown man act that way in their sleep?

Misty watches Ash sleep for a little longer. He looks more like the boy she knew ten years ago when he's relaxed like this. His face was clear of any frown lines. Since the moment she saw him again, the only expression he gave her were knit brows and grimaces.

Misty sees Ash about to frown in his sleep. He was having a bad dream again. She slides a finger between his eyebrows and his face slowly returns to the innocent face again. After realizing what she's done she quickly retreats her hand. Shocked, she gets out of bed.

_Get a grip, Misty._

Misty pads out of the bedroom area and into the living room. She takes a look back at Ash's sleeping form.

_I'll go make breakfast._

Misty walks over to the kitchen. She opens the fridge and clicks her tongue at what measly supply of food Ash keeps. _The fridge is practically bare!_Misty sighs and opens up the pantry. She finds a bag of chocolate chips.

_Chocolate chip pancakes will do._Misty proceeds to gather the pans and ingredients to start breakfast.

* * *

This must be a dream.

There's no way Misty would be in his home, making breakfast right now.

Ash woke up to the delicious smell of pancakes. It wafted to the bedroom and teased his senses. That's a clue that he has to still be sleeping right now. No one has cooked him breakfast except for his mom.

Ash walks barefooted over to where Misty was at. Her back was to him as she tended to the pancakes on the stove. She hums a playful tune while swinging her hips side to side.

Ash's eyes rake down her backside. So much has changed between the ten years they have been apart. Misty has gone from a scrawny girl into a beauty. She filled out her curves nicely. A narrow waist led to round hips and a firm chest.

Ash rubs his eyes, still convinced that this is an illusion.

The streaming sunlight from the morning sun hits her hair, turning it into a light orange. It compliments her fair complexion.

_Gorgeous._

Whether this was a dream or not, he didn't want it to end.

Ash walks to the breakfast bar and sits down. He continues to watch her little show. Her petite figure sways back and forth to her imaginary tune. She expertly flips the pancake and sets it on the plate next to her. When she finally finishes two piles of pancakes, she turns off the stove and turns around.

Misty finds Ash awake and staring at her. His eyes held a dreamy quality. Even though she discovers him watching her, he doesn't turn his head away or anything. No reaction.

"Ash?" Misty was bemused.

"Hm," Ash answers. He continues to fix her with his stare. Ha, the Misty in his dream can talk! His mind had preserved the memory of her voice well. A smile begins to play on the corner of his lips. Did they sleep in the same bed last night? That would be really –

_Wait, bed?_

Suddenly, reality snaps back.

Ash remembers everything about their arrangement, including last night's events. He straightens himself. His eyes return back to the coolness she was used to seeing nowadays. Ash clears his voice to get rid of the awkwardness.

"'Morning," Ash says gruffly.

Misty stares at him for a bit, wondering what that was all about. She decides to spare him.

"I made pancakes," she gestures to the plates with pancakes stacked high.

"Oh."

Misty brings both plates to the bar. She places one in front of him and the other plate for her beside him. She grabs the bottle of syrup she found and brings it over. Ash was still staring at his plate.

"What? I swear they're edible, Ash." Misty mistook Ash's staring as doubt for her cooking skills. She rolls her eyes.

"Huh? That's not it." Ash pauses. "These are chocolate chip pancakes."

"Yes, they are, Captain Obvious."

Ash ignores her and continues to take in the situation. Then, he reaches for the syrup bottle and pours a dribble over the pancakes. He grabs a fork and lifts up a piece. He chews slowly.

Misty sits next to him and eats normally. _What? They taste fine to me._

"My mom used to make me pancakes."

Misty glances at Ash. Surprised that he was initiating a conversation.

"I haven't had someone cook a meal for me in a long time." Well, that explains the weirdness a few moments ago. Misty thinks this over as she chews.

"So did you prepare your own meals before today?"

"Occasionally. I usually eat my meals in the cafeteria. But when I want some alone time, I can cook simple stuff." He pops another bite into his mouth.

"This is really good," he says quietly.

"Thanks." Misty replies. She's enjoying her morning so far. At least they weren't arguing right now. "Where's Pikachu? I haven't seen him since last night?"

"He's probably downstairs somewhere."

"Oh."

They continue to eat in silence after that. Neither one of them wanted to talk, in case it turns out badly. They enjoy the beautiful morning and company of each other's presence. Only the clinking of silverware fills the silence.

Ash was the first to finish. He clears his throat.

"Misty, since I'm your bodyguard during the time you're under the Protection Program, we have to stick together at all times."

"All times?" Misty looks up in shock. She saw the seriousness in his eyes. "Not just when I go out?"

He nods. "Yes, plus we need to train you in self-defense and Pokémon battling. Who knows when you might need to protect yourself?"

"Fine," grumbles Misty. She places the last piece in her mouth. Ash takes up her plate along with his and goes to clean them.

"Get dressed, we leave in a few minutes." He looks over at Misty. "Don't bother showering. You'll get sweaty later, anyway."

"Gross!"

He shrugs and goes back to washing the plates.

* * *

"Right jab!"

Misty swings her fist but it turned out flimsy and weak. Ash easily deflects it.

She pauses to catch her breath. Even though she tied her hair up, sweat matted her hair to her face and forehead and lead in rivulets down the side of her neck. Misty gasps in and out, trying to gather more of the delicious air into her lungs.

"Again!"

_Spartan Trainer._ Misty shakes her head and continues to wheeze in and out. They had been going at it for two hours at the base's gym. Ash had made her run on the treadmill, lift weights, and now they were moving on to boxing. She was exhausted, yet Ash stands there, in front of her, barely breaking a sweat. The boxing gloves on her hands feel like dead weights now.

"Misty!"

"Just give me a second," shouts Misty.

Ash folds his arms across his chest, "_Give you a second?_ No assailant will wait for you to catch your breath. If this was a real scene, you would be dead."

Misty glares at him. She could feel the anger boiling inside of her.

"You hit like a _girl_," he said condescendingly. Misty didn't like anyone calling her weak.

"Huh, I'm giving you free rein to punch me, yet you barely made a scratch," he smirks. "Guess you don't – "

Misty shot out her right fist. Ash barely had enough time to catch it before it reached his face. Misty continues to glare at him. His smirk was gone.

_Impressive_, he thought.

"That's right, let go of your emotions. Let me see what you got!"

Misty throws a barrage of punches and jabs. Ash blocks each one of them but he felt her assault was getting stronger with each move. Misty takes a step forward with each punch, with Ash stepping backwards. He led them in a circle, around the boxing ring.

"Concentrate on your balance! Focus on the way your body is moving."

"Hah!" She throws another punch.

A few Trainers also in the gym looked on with curiosity. Ash and Misty ignores them and carried on with renewed vigor. Their grunts and shouts fill the silence as they fought. Bystanders watch on with curiosity. They're fascinated by the intensity of the pair's session.

Misty puts her emotions into her punches. All the years of pent-up tears. The heart-breaking hurt she felt ten years ago. The shock and rage at seeing him again. Her emotions collided together and formed a raging storm inside of her.

_That damn eyebrow._ His attitude towards her sucks. _Who does he think he is?_

Misty puts all of her energy into one last uppercut. To her and Ash's surprise, it lands. Ash's head snaps back from the blow. Misty retreats her fist. For a moment she panicked but calmed down when he holds up a hand.

"I'm fine." Ash rubs his thumb back and forth along his jaw. He winces when he felt the tender spot. "Nice…one."

"Do you – "

"No, I'll be fine." He straightens himself. "That's it for today. Take a shower and come back." He ducks under the ring's ropes and makes his way to the men's room.

Misty was worried. She put considerable strength in that uppercut.

_Humph, suit yourself_. She walks towards the women's locker room. Misty gathers clean clothes and her shampoo bottle before heading towards the showers. She gained a few stares from the women also in the room but ignores them.

_Think what you want._

Misty closes the curtain and sets her things on a bench. She sheds her training clothes and piles them beside her other clothes. She turns on the shower. Within seconds, steam started to flow up from the heated temperature.

"Ah," Misty moans. Now that the adrenaline has faded, she could feel just how sore her body was. Her joints ached from fatigue. The shower rained just the right pressure on the tensed muscles. The hot water felt heavenly against her skin.

Misty showers quickly and goes out of the locker room with her hair still damp. She finds Ash standing across from the doorway. His stoic expression is back. He looks up when he sees Misty.

"I have a meeting to go to." Ash says when Misty draws near.

"Oh?"

Ash leads Misty out into the hallway. They stand close to the wall to avoid obstructing passersbys.

"Am I going to follow you then?"

Ash shakes his head, "No, you're going to have to stay in my room."

"All day? Can't I stay in the rec room or something?"

"I'd feel better if you stayed somewhere I know. You have a habit of wandering."

"This is the base! Probably the safest place from a Team Rocket attack."

Ash purses his lips. "Yeah, but what if there's an emergency? I don't want you to get lost while people are running around, preparing for battle."

"Ash, you're so paranoid!"

"Call it whatever! I don't want you to – "

"I can keep her company."

Ash and Misty look over at the new voice. Ritchie makes his way over to the pair. Sparky sits on his shoulder. It waves its yellow tail to greet them. Ritchie saw the two arguing in hallway and felt compelled to break up the fight. He winks at Misty as he glances her way.

"A board member meeting has just been called, right? I can look after her." Misty beams at him. Ritchie returns her smile. He turns to Ash. Ritchie is shocked to see him glaring daggers at him.

"Great." Ash stalks off down the hallway. He walks briskly straight, not pausing to give anyone room. The poor victims in his path scramble to dodge out of his way. Ash ignores them, giving no indication that he was sorry.

Ritchie returns back to Misty. He wanted to ask her what made Ash mad, but Misty just shrugs. She continues to watch Ash walk away from her. Ritchie decides to divert her attention.

"Shall we grab lunch?"

Misty turns back to Ritchie. "Sure."

* * *

Ash walks briskly to the meeting room.

_Perfect timing, Ritchie. _

During his and Misty's training session, Ash was aware of how many stares they got. And he noticed that most of the onlookers were male, staring at Misty's sexy, sweating body.

Her fit from glisten with sweat. Strands of hair are plastered to her face. Her body heaved in and out as she prepared her next strike. All in all, she was one, hot mess. And it showed through her skin-tight sports bra and short running shorts.

Years of swimming had done her justice. Her legs were long and curvy. Her arms were toned, not flimsy like most girls her age. Soft bicep muscles were emphasized in her upper arms. She walked with her shoulders held high. Her butt was firm and round. And her stomach…

_God, her stomach._

Flat and toned. Her waist curved and rounded out to her hips. Her skin was so smooth he wanted to touch it. But he reigned in is carnal desires.

She had grown into quite the woman while he wasn't looking. She was no longer the skinny, washboard girl. She matured into a beautiful being with a formidable personality.

But she was no longer his.

_No_, he reminded himself. She was never his.

* * *

"A salad, please."

The lunch lady handed her a bowl of Caesar salad. Misty places it on her tray and makes her way over to Ritchie, who stood off to the side to wait for her. Ritchie smiles and leads them over to an empty table. He sits on one side while Misty settles down across from him.

Ritchie ordered a hamburger. Sparky sits on the table, nibbling at some pokeblocks. Misty starts to eat her salad, relishing at the taste of fresh greens. It was absolutely refreshing, after her session with Ash. A tomato bursts into flavor as she bit into it.

"So, what do you think of the base so far, Misty?" Ritchie grins. He reaches for a couple of fries.

"The base? I haven't seen much of it." Misty takes another mouthful of lettuce. She chews it over and swallows slowly. "I was holed up in Ash's room until this morning."

Ritchie's jaw drops open. "Whoa, Misty."

Misty blushed as she realize what her words might imply. "Not like that, Ritchie! What I meant was – It was late last night. So he didn't give me a tour! And we were both really tired and slept in a little because of yesterday's events… " She starts babbling.

Ritchie bursts into laughter. "I was just messing with you, Misty. I know what you mean. You should have seen your face."

Misty's face got even redder. She stabs her vegetables and brings them to her mouth. Ritchie looks at her with a wicked grin and bites into his hamburger.

* * *

"Now, according to this diagram, Team Rocket's movements have steadily been more concentrated in this area of the region…"

The presenter droned on and on about some observation he had made while monitoring Team Rocket's recent activities. Ash stared in boredom. It was a no brainer to do that director's job. You look at a map, then mark down places that TR has lately been targeting. The more marks, the better chances that that area would **not** experience another attack. _Not experience **more**. _After all, what kind of criminal would return to the scene of the crime? They would have already looted everything the first time.

_What are we paying him for again?_

Ash sat along a table with other directors and board members on either side of him. Brock sat in the middle of the long table. The speaker was wildly waving his hand across a map shown by a projector.

Ash could care less about what the meeting was about. It was always the same discussion. He doubt anything new would come up. He flicks his pen around and around his fingers.

Instead, his mind was elsewhere. More specifically, with an orange-haired girl. He wonders what she must be doing now. Was she eating with Ritchie? Is she laughing? Is she having fun with him?

His overactive imagination conjured up a scene where Misty and Ritchie were having dinner with candlelight. Ritchie would tell her a funny story, and then Misty would giggle her vibrant laugh. They would clink champagne flutes and take a drink. Then, during the progression of the date, they would gradually lean closer and closer…

Ash shuts his eyes. He couldn't handle it anymore. He threads both of his hands into his hair. He ruffles his hair hard enough to muss it up and leave it in disarray. He groans at the frustration of it all.

_Why should I care? _He screams in his head.

When he's finished with his little tantrum, he reopens his eyes.

And finds everyone in the room giving him a weird looks. Brock stares at his old friend with an amused expression. He quickly brings a hand up to stifle his chuckles when he couldn't take it anymore.

_Predictable_, thought Brock.

Ash sinks deeper into his seat, trying to deflect the attention off himself but instead it made the stares linger longer.

_She's making his old emotions resurface. _Nobody saw the lone tear that slid down the side of Brock's profile.

* * *

AN: Reviewers are welcome and loved. Hope you stick around for more!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

Ash knocks on the door to Brock's office. The board meeting lasted 8 hours, due to strategic planning of espionage missions and discussions of theories and whatnot. They had lunch and dinner brought to the meeting room to cut down time loss. All-in-all it was very tiring.

But Ash was even more weary than usual after the conference, due to his wild delusions of what Misty is doing with Ritchie. Several times, he had been called on to get his input on a particular program, but he just sat there into space; his face was tense and his mouth was half pouting and half frowning. Brock had to clear his throat loudly to capture Ash's attention.

He glanced into the cafeteria as he walked to Brock's office, hoping to see the duo having an innocent dinner. He didn't see them anywhere.

_Perhaps she's in the rec room or something_, he tried to calm his mind. Unfortunately, that thought led to another imaginative scene where Misty and Ritchie were watching a movie in the dark. She always liked sappy, romance movies. Misty would say something like, _I'm cold._ Then Ritchie would smile and put his arm around her. Then she would snuggle into his embrace and cuddle with him. Over the course of the movie, their faces will come closer and closer until…

_Stop!_

Ash was appalled at the path his mind was taking him. First and foremost, Misty wouldn't say something like that. Especially not to someone she recently caught up with again. But what if she had kept in touch with Ritchie? It was possible. Just because she didn't contact Ash, didn't mean she didn't connect with other friends.

Ash remember the various times, right after Misty left him, that he would hide around the corner as Brock video-called her. His eyes would tear up as her face appeared on the screen. Ash was tempted to run in and jump into the conversation too but he kept himself rooted to his hiding spot. His mind was in disarray at the time, screaming out _why, why, why _as he frantically searched his mind for the cause of it all.

Ash shook his head to clear the memories.

Second of all, he had no reason to interfere with her life. He didn't before she arrived here, and he shouldn't start now. But now old feelings were starting to rise up again. The long-buried emotions were coming back with vengeance, fueling his overactive imagination.

Ash took a second to draw back his inner turmoil. He closed his eyes and breathe in and out deeply. When he opened them again, his cold mask was in place again.

Then he stepped inside Brock's office.

Brock looks up from behind his desk. He saw Ash walking towards him. He was disappointed to see the mask back on Ash's face. He was so sure that his plan was making progress.

"Hey, Ash," greeted Brock when Ash sat down in the chair opposite of him. Ash nodded in response.

_Hm, not much of a talker today, _mused Brock. _But then again, he wasn't for the last few years._

Brock decided to excite a response out of Ash. "So how's it going with Misty?"

"Fine." Ash avoids the older man's eyes and stares at a painting of maiden's peak on the wall. A slight pout formed on Ash's lips. If Brock hadn't examined closely, he would have surely missed it.

Brock tried his best to hide his grin behind a cough. "So where is she now?"

"Off with Ritchie."

_Ah, and there is the cause._ Brock studied Ash's profile, noting the tense jaw, pout, and wandering eyes. It was clear that Ash was indeed jealous, which supplied Brock's theory of Ash still have lingering feelings for the redhead. _Which means, Misty must be the key to Ash's heart. _

Brock clears his head of the thoughts. He will think on it later when Ash is gone. The person in question didn't notice the unusual silence as he once again let his thoughts wander…

"Ahem," Brock clears his throat. "So I called you here to get your input on a matter."

Ash now has his full attention on Brock. A meeting between only the two of them can only mean the matter at hand was most important.

"I was thinking," Brock said slowly, "to invite Misty to join TRAINERS." _Wait for it…_

"No!" Ash shot up from his seat, disapproval radiated from his body. He knocked over his chair in the process. Ash's eyes blazed with fury.

Brock sighs. He knew this was going to happen. "Why not, Ash? Misty would make an excellent addition to the force. With her knowledge of water Pokémon, we could – "

"Hell. No." Ash said his words with venom. "There's no way I'm letting her see the horrors of war."

"You know she can handle it. AND she would be more than willing to join."

"She can't fight."

"Train her like all the new recruits. Besides, she was the one who gave you the bruise, right?"

Ash cursed under his breath as he unconsciously reached out to touch the tender spot. It had turned into a slight purple color over the course of the day. He had hoped his dark skin cold hide the injury but it didn't help.

Brock smirks, "Landing a punch on the great Captain Ash is no easy feat."

"I fell off my bed."

Brock raises an eyebrow. "And you somehow landed on your jaw?"

Ash shrugs, "It could happen."

"Right…" Brock draws out the word. He didn't believe one word.

"Anyway, point being, she's not going to be a Trainer!" The fire was back in Ash's eyes. Ash decides to switch tactics and appeal to emotions. "Brock, she's our oldest friend! Plus a female."

"We have lots of women on the force."

Ash hangs his head. "Please don't do this to her. I don't know what I would do if she…" Ash trails off but Brock knows where he was getting at.

"I shouldn't tell you this, but Misty actually applied to be a Trainer a while back." Ash stills but Brock keeps on going. "It was before the whole mess started." Brock pauses to let the words sink in."Ash, it's her decision."

Ash lets out a long sigh. He knows he lost the battle. He lifts his head and returns Brock's scrutinizing stare.

"One condition: I go on every, single mission with her."

* * *

"So then we had to escape from the control room quick, because the reactor was going to blow in seconds…" After dinner, Ritchie and Misty spent the time strolling through the hallways. Ritchie told Misty stories of various missions he and Ash did. Every time, she could feel her heart break a little as she wonders what would happen if he didn't run fast enough or became critically injured.

"Well, I'm glad you guys are okay now." Misty gives a small smile.

Ritchie returns it, "Sorry, are these too brutal for you? I thought you might want to learn how we…"

"No, I want to hear them. But then I wonder… What if you guys didn't make it? Every situation you guys go into is dangerous. You don't know if you'll come back or not. And when I think what would happen if…" Misty's voice becomes soft.

Ritchie gives her a grim smile. He lifts a hand to put on her shoulder. "Someone has to do it. Yes, our missions can be life-threatening, but we keep a positive mind. We are the main force against Team Rocket. People believe in us – NEED us. So we'll keep fighting, to save one more person or Pokémon."

Misty walks along in silence. She hangs her head as she contemplates Ritchie's words. Ritchie looks over to her and guesses what's on her mind, "Are you thinking about Ash?"

Misty snaps her head up, surprise was evident in her eyes. Her cheeks were tinted with pink. She turns her eyes straight ahead and nods. "Was it that obvious?"

Ritchie smirks at her reaction. Ash and Misty were so predictable. "Don't worry about Ash. He can handle himself. He's one of the greatest Trainer on the base. He's quick and handy with a gun. Plus, he's got Pikachu with him."

Misty takes a moment to process his words. "So, what made him the way he is today?"

Ritchie cocks his head in confusion.

"I mean, he turned from a naïve kid to a brooding, fighting machine. Something must have happened," Misty looks deep in concentration. "You know something, don't you Ritchie?"

Ritchie purses his lips. His face contorts as he have an inner argument about whether to divulge Ash's secret or not. He resigns with a sigh, "Yes, I do. But it's not my place to tell. You'll have to ask him yourself." Ritchie added in a quiet voice, "He's got the worst story out of all of us."

"What do you mean?" Misty had her full attention on him.

"Well, a lot of Trainers join the group because they feel they want to eradicate Team Rocket, out of pure feelings of wanting to help. But there are some who join because of life changing events. Those are the ones who are the most passionate about TRAINERS. Those who witnessed firsthand about Team Rocket's cruelty." Ritchie pauses. "That includes me. A Pokémon center blew up right in front of me."

Misty gasps.

"I was in the Johto region. After weeks of traveling I finally reached the city. Naturally, I wanted to go rest at the Pokémon center first. Just as I was in walking distance from it, the place blew up from the inside." Ritchie shakes his head. "I can still hear the screaming from the people inside it. Team Rocket had looted the place of valuables and left the weak Pokémon and people to die. Many lives were lost, because the fire spread quickly and people couldn't get out. I helped as much as I could but there was still a lot of damage. That was when I made up my mind to join Trainers."

Misty was wide-eyed. "That's horrible! A Pokémon center? Where the sick and weak go to recover? That's low."

Ritchie shrugs. "That's how they operate."

Somehow the pair made it to the elevator. It was nearing ten o'clock now.

"Ready to turn in?" asks Ritchie. Misty nods and they both enter the elevator. Ritchie presses the button for Ash's floor and the elevator starts to ascent. They didn't talk until they reach Ash's door. Misty turns to Ritchie.

"Thanks for today, Ritchie. I had a good time."

Ritchie scratches the back of his head in embarrassment. "No problem, Misty. Hey, if you ever get bored, come see me, 'kay?"

"Sure," Misty grins. That's when Ritchie decides to turn and leave. He waves to her as he got on the elevator again. The doors close and soon he was gone.

Misty turns back around to Ash's door. She lifts up her fist to knock on the door and it was a few centimeters away until it swung open. Misty jumped in surprise as Ash stares intensely at her.

"You guys sure took your time."

Ash leaves the door open and briskly turns to walk away from her, leaving her in confusion about his actions. Ash plops down on the couch and brings his legs up to rest it along the length of the couch, giving off the impression of complete relaxation. He picks up the remote from the floor and turns it on to some channel.

Misty stands at the doorway for a couple more minutes before realizing that that was all Ash was going to say.

"How was the meeting?" Misty plops down on the armchair next to Ash.

"Fine," he replies gruffly. He flips to a news program. His eyes were hard and he stared straight ahead at the TV. "How was your date?"

Misty frowns at this. "It wasn't a date, Ash."

"Close enough."

Misty frowns at his attitude. She didn't want to deal with this right now; she was too tired from everything she learned today, from sparring with Ash to talking with Ritchie. Misty got up from the chair and got her duffel bag from beside Ash's dresser. She makes her way to the bathroom to change. Ash still sits in front of the TV, blankly staring ahead.

Misty closes the door behind her. She looks in the mirror and studied the girl staring back. Her muscles ache from training with Ash. Her eyes were wide and alert. She combed her hair with her fingertips, frowning when she snagged on a tangle. Misty sighs and begins to strip, trading her shirt and shorts for a midnight blue silk nightgown. It clings to her figure and ended above her knees. She hated cotton pajamas. She likes the feel of silk on her skin, it reminds her the smooth glide of water around her.

When Misty was finished with her night routine, she walked into the living room to find Ash snoozing on the couch. She dropped her bag beside the dresser and makes her way over. The TV was still on so she pressed the off button on the remote. She bends down so her face was near Ash's. She studied the side of his face. From his raven hair to his sharp jaw line. He had a frown on again.

_Heh, even gloomy in his sleep._

She smoothed the indention between his brows and his face slowly turned into one of complete contentment. Misty was surprised to see his smiling face. It has been ten years since she saw that smile. She tried to commit the vision to memory. In a trance, she traces her fingertip along the curve of his eyebrows down to his nose, over his cheekbones, and finally reached his lips. They jutted out in a pout, it looked so kissable.

Misty quickly snapped out of it as she realized she was staring at it a tad too long. She let her eyes wander down further south until she reached his bruise. It was a rather nasty one, turning darker with every hour.

_I bet he hasn't treated it yet._

With that, she stood up and made her way into the kitchen. She fished through the cabinets until she found some towels. She scooped up some ice from the freezer and knotted the towel around it, creating an ice bag. Misty makes her way over to Ash. She hesitates, knowing that the cold temperature would inevitably wake him up but proceeds anyway. She presses the bag against his jaw. Within seconds, Ash's eyes flew open and he bolts upright in the couch. He stares at Misty incredulously.

Misty smiles sheepishly. She holds up the ice bag, "You need to treat that bruise."

Ash stares at her for a few seconds longer before nodding. Misty sits on the couch beside Ash and hands him the ice. Ash takes it and puts it to his jaw. He's still staring at her in shock.

"Ash, are you okay?" Misty tilts her head.

"I should ask you that. You're being nice to me."

"Humph, well I didn't have to!" Misty starts to get up from the couch but Ash's hand reached out to grab her wrist. He pulls her back down closer to him.

"I know I haven't been a gentlemen towards you. What made you…?" He gestured towards the ice bag.

Misty sighs, "Just because you've been an asshole to me, doesn't mean I have to do the same to you. Besides," Misty points at the bruise, "you got that because of me. I better take responsibility."

Ash cracks a smile despite the wall he put up around his heart. Soon, it morphed into a full out grin. His cheeks tingle at the muscles that have rarely been used. Misty stopped breathing. Her heart began beating faster and faster. Not once had he smiled till now. His smiling face at her took her breath away. His eyes shone with happiness. She blushed and turned her head away to conceal it.

_No, this can't happen_, thought Misty.

Misty stands up. "I'm going to bed," she announces. Misty walks away into the bedroom. She could hear the click as the TV turned on again, but Ash mutes it out of courtesy. She dives under the covers and tried to calm her rapidly beating heart. But it was near impossible since the sheets smelled like him.

_Stop it. _Misty shuts her eyes.

_I can't love him again._

* * *

AN: Reviews make my day (hint hint). A couple of words are all the encouragement I need to make another chapter that much faster. Hope you stick around!

FlowerInDarkness


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.

* * *

"Keep your feet apart! Or else you'll lose your balance."

Misty and Ash circle each other as they watch each other's movements. They are sparring in a room separate from the gym, no boxing equipment. Just gloves and non-hindering clothes. Sweat rolled down the side of Misty's face. Ash notes her every move and points out flaws in her posture.

The room was a private one, only used when someone requested to reserve it for personal training. Ash didn't want distractions as he worked with Misty on self-defense maneuvers. Or distract anyone else with their arguments and whatnot.

Last night's events changed nothing. The heart-stopping smile was nowhere to be found once she woke up. Misty almost believed that she dreamt up the whole scenario, but she spotted the rag sitting on the counter, slightly wet.

Ash had slept on the couch, curled up with a thin blanket. Misty felt a twang of disappointment when she woke up to an empty bed but quickly dismissed the feeling. Ash woke up shortly after her. His eyes were cloudy with sleep and his hair was in disarray. He quickly looked away after he met her eye, choosing to inspect the bare walls instead.

Silence filled the morning air. The pair abstained any unnecessary contact. They avoided meeting each other's eyes. They kept a good distance between them as they walked around the apartment. There was a silent agreement on whose turn it was to occupy the bathroom. When both looked presentable, Misty and Ash made their way down to the mess hall to grab breakfast. In silence. Only when he was on his last bite did he speak to her.

"_Self-defense today," he said softly before biting into his blueberry muffin. _

_Misty nodded as she agreed to the day's agenda. She could use a physical outlet._

Ash made a grab at her, but Misty foresaw it and jumped back while slapping his hand away. He tried it again and Misty repeated her previous actions only this time, Ash's hand quickly shot out to grasp her wrist. He pulled her to him until there was only inches of space between their bodies.

"Your actions are good but don't do any more than necessary. Your opponent could use the extra contact against you. Remember, you just want to run away. You're not fighting." He lightly shook their joined hands to prove his point. Misty blushed and looked down at her captive hand. She nodded to acknowledge his point and tried to pull her hand away. Ash's hand didn't loosen. Confused, Misty looked up at Ash to find him gazing at her. No words were spoken between them. The two stare into each other's eyes for what seems like an eternity. Misty could feel her cheeks redden even more with each passing second.

_Man_, thought Ash. _She has the prettiest eyes – _

_STOMP_

Ash called out a string of expletives as Misty grounded her foot onto Ash's instep. Ash's grip loosens and Misty saw her chance to wrench her hand away. She brought her fist up in a slow-motion uppercut at the same spot where Ash's bruise was, making a _whooshing_ sound effect as she gently thumped it on his jaw.

Ash took a step back and stared at her incredulously, as if she had grown two heads. The stinging in his left foot had lessened to a dull ache.

Misty smiles back sweetly and says, "You mean I'm not fighting, yet. I can take care of myself, Ashy-boy."

"Hah! Barely."

"What do you mean," Misty raised her voice. "I just got out of your hold!"

"Only because I got distracted."

"By what?"

"…Pikachu."

"Pika?" Pikachu raised its head at the sound of its name. It was taking a nap on the sofa in the corner. The sound of the duo's argument woke her up.

Misty didn't believe him one bit. But she didn't push it since she was afraid of the real answer. Of how deeply they were staring into each other's eyes just seconds ago. Misty changed the subject to safer grounds.

"Just admit it Ash! I bested you twice!" Misty stood in a victorious stance. She put her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest.

Ash scoffed. "Won't happen again, I can tell you that." He cleared his throat, "But you were right in using my hesitation to your advantage. Good…job." He said the last part quietly.

"Hm? What was that?" Misty cups her ear and leans closer to him. "Did the great Ash just praised me? One more time! I need a chance to memorize the words – "

Ash quickly turns and walks away, declining to hear the rest of Misty's sentence. "Lesson over. Shower and I'll see you outside."

Misty pouted when she couldn't entice a reaction out of him. But unbeknownst to her, a smile was tugging on the corners of Ash's mouth.

* * *

"Oh, look who it is. Carrot top is back!"

Misty leaned against wall across the locker rooms, patiently waiting for Ash to finish up. She glanced at whoever called her out. He stood with his hands in his pockets. He wore a purple shirt and dark jeans with a white lab coat over it. Spikey brown hair covered part of his eyes. Misty couldn't figure out who it was until she saw that arrogant smirk on his face.

"Gary!"

"Misty," he nodded towards her. Misty straightened up but made no moves to hug him. The two weren't close like that. Gary appraised up and down her figure and took a step closer. Misty could see now that she was a good head length shorter than him.

_Gah, is everyone growing taller than me now?_

Gary cleared his throat. "I heard through the gossip mill that you were at the base. I was wondering if I was ever going to see you."

"I've been… busy," Misty looks down at her feet. _Now that I think about it, I've been spending a lot of time with Ash… _"I'm in the Protection Program."

Gary looks confused. "Protection Program? That's not just it. What, did Ashy-boy not tell you yet?"

Now Misty looks up in surprise. "Tell me what?"

Gary stares at her for a few more seconds then laughs. He waves it off. "Meh, nothing much. Don't worry about it."

"Hmph. I want to know, Gary!"

"You'll hear it soon enough." Gary grins when she gave an adorable pout. He heard the door to the locker rooms being opened. Then he felt the tingly sensation on his back whenever someone watches him. He knew, by instinct, who it was behind him.

_This will be fun_, he thought.

Misty was back to leaning against the wall. Gary took a step closer until there was only a foot of space between them. Misty raises an eyebrow at his actions but doesn't question it. She makes no move to stop him. She was frozen to the spot out of confusion. Then, Gary plants a hand on the wall to the left of Misty's head and leans in closer into her personal space.

"So I was thinking, girlie, that we should have dinner together. You know, to celebrate our reunion."

Misty gives him a funny look as if to say 'Are you serious?'

"I would show you a great time and we could totally talk about the good old days." Gary gives one of his wicked smiles that he uses to pick up girls. Misty couldn't help but smile at his antics.

_Good old days? Hah, we have our comedian. Fine, two can play at this game. Let's see who cracks first_, thought Misty.

"Hmm," Misty trails off and slowly rakes her eyes up and down Gary's torso. When she makes her way back to his eyes, she takes her bottom lip between her teeth and looks up from beneath her lashes. Misty releases her lip and licks it, making sure to make it shiny and wet. She puts her index finger on his chest. "Sounds like fun."

Gary dropped his grin like a hot potato. He stares at her in complete bewilderment. Who was this vixen in front of him? This sexy girl replaced the fiery redhead in a split second.

_Must be the Waterflower gene._

Oh, well. This made things more interesting. He picked back up his game.

He smiles at her and made his voice lower. "We could have dinner in my room. I'll cook some of my famous pasta and then afterwards… uh, Misty?" Gary blinks twice in succession. Misty was right in front of him one moment then it is just the bare wall the next. Gary glances around the area and found the cause. He smirks at the seething man glaring at him.

Misty felt herself yanked from her spot to the right. Two vice-like arms circle around her waist. She looks up to see Ash with a dark look on his face. Immediately, she tries to wiggle free but to no prevail. Misty gives up after she sees Ash not even noticing her attempts and blushes furiously at their physical contact.

Gary holds up both hands. "Haha, easy tiger. We were just messing with you. Tone down the death glare."

Ash continues to glare at him for a few more seconds, trying to determine if Gary was telling the truth. Then he softens up and releases Misty to go fist-bump Gary.

"I would have you flat on your back in seconds." One corner of Ash's mouth curves up.

"Oh, yeah, big guy? I can take you! Watch this!" Gary wrestles Ash's head down and prepares to give him a noogie. With a grunt, Ash tackles Gary's midsection and they both hit the wall, wrestling all the while. Onlookers watch with amusement as they walk past by the two men. Even Misty couldn't help but smile at the brotherly love. The two straightened up after a few minutes, both of their hair were sticking up everywhere.

"Since when were you two so close," Misty asked.

Gary raises a hand to comb through his disheveled hair. "Well, since the Pallet Town…." Gary trails off and glances at Ash. Ash's expression returned to the cold mask again as he stares at the wall across from them. Gary gives a sympathetic smile and turns back to Misty. "Since the formation of TRAINERS."

Misty's eyes bugged. "You co-founded TRAINERS?"

"Yeah. It was me, Ash, Brock, and my grandfather," Gary shrugged. "You didn't know?"

Misty looks thoughtful. "No, I knew Brock and Ash were in on it but I didn't know you and Professor Oak founded it too."

"Ha," Gary hooks an arm around Ash's neck. "If we leave all our operations to this guy, there would be brazen battles everywhere. This guy is kill first, strategize later."

Ash rolls his eyes at Gary's words. "And who is the top commander here?"

"Psh. And who is your top tactician?" Gary retorted. Gary looks at Misty. "Brock handles the internal operations and grandfather handles the research aspects. Which reminds me…" Gary looks at the man beside him. "Grandfather wants to see you in his lab."

Ash nodded in acknowledgement.

Gary glances back at Misty. "You can come too since you're now…" He trails off and unhooks his arm from around Ash's shoulders. He leads the way down the hallway with Ash close behind.

Misty scrambles to keep up. _I'm what now?_

* * *

Misty steps through the sliding door and into a stark-white lab. Cylindrical machines made a small whirring sound. Flasks with different colored liquids crowd the tabletops. Many scientists were scattered across the large room, performing various experiments and recording results into notebooks.

Misty walked close behind Ash, afraid to touch the equipment and accidentally set something off. The trio walked towards the private lab area reserved for Professor Oak. Misty noticed the gray-haired man sitting at a desk as they drew near.

"Hey, gramps!" Gary called out to alert him.

Professor Oak looked up from his work and smiled. He stood up to greet them. "Gary! I see you brought Ash with you." He walked around the desk to give both a pat on the back.

"Don't you remember me, professor?" Misty grins from behind Ash.

"Why, if it isn't Misty! How have you been, dear?" Prof. Oak gives Misty a brief hug. He held her at arm's length to take a look at her. "Well, ten years can surely change a person, huh?"

Misty gives an embarrass smile and glances at Ash. "That's true…"

Ash chose that moment to clear his throat. "You called for me, Professor?"

"That's right, Ash. Let me grab it from my desk." Prof. Oak goes around and rummages through his work until he found a small vial with light blue liquid. He holds it up to the light to inspect it. "This is a super-speed potion, meant for humans. I've perfected the ingredients last night and I want you to give it a shot on your next mission. It's still in its testing stage. But don't worry! It's completely harmless." Prof. Oak rushes to get the last bit out as he saw the skeptical look on Ash's face.

Gary guffaws. "Good luck, Ashy-boy."

Ash grimaces as he pockets the vial. "Anything else, Professor?"

Prof. Oak rubs his chin in thought. "Nope. Remember to tell me how it goes, Ash. Oh, and Misty? Congratulations!"

"About what, Professor?" Misty is confused.

Now it was the older man's turn to be confused. He looks at Ash. "You didn't tell her."

Ash clears his throat. "I was going to but we were sidetracked." He stares pointedly at Gary.

Gary shrugs. "You had plenty of time, Ashy-boy. You just put it off."

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Misty stands with both hands on her hips. Everyone quieted down and looks at her. Misty looks at Ash. "Something you want to tell me, Ash?"

Ash sighs. He couldn't stall any longer. He looks at her straight in the eye when he spoke. "Misty Waterflower." Misty drops both of her arms at the formality of his words. "We have received your application to TRAINERS and we would… like you to have you in our ranks." Ash loathes the words that he just spoke.

However, Misty was delighted. "Really? This is awesome!" She received a one arm hug from the professor.

"Welcome to the team," said Prof. Oak.

Gary nods in acknowledgement. "Guess who your superior officer is!"

"Who?"

Gary gives a heavy pat on Ash's back. "This guy right here!"

Misty's face drops.

"I think it's time for us to go," interjects Ash. He nods to the professor and Gary and motions Misty to follow him.

"Save me a dance at the welcoming party, Misty!" Gary called after the departing duo.

* * *

"Use your mighty influential powers or something!"

Misty and Ash were back at his place. Misty had waited until they were in a private place before unleashing her frustration. Ash could feel a headache coming on. A slight throbbing was beginning behind his eyes.

"No," replied Ash. "Got a problem, take it up with Brock." _Actually, it was my request but Brock deserves a taste of her fury too. _

Misty groans and paces back and forth in front of Ash, who was lounging on the couch. She contemplates her choices.

"Is spending time with me that bad?" Ash mumbles.

Misty stops at his words. She stares at the carpet as she picks her next words. "No, it's just… We clash every day, Ash. This arrangement isn't making any of us happy."

Ash leans forward in his seat and looks at Misty in the eye. "We can fix this, Mist. We can talk about what happened ten years ago and then go back to how we were before. Or somewhat like before." Hope filled his words. He wanted so much to be with Misty. He was bursting with anticipation as Misty carefully considered this. "Why did you – "

"I'm not ready, Ash." Misty broke off their connection. She turns her head to stare at the wall. She wrapped herself with her arms. Ash was disappointed and he began to shut down again. He nodded as if to accept her answer. He got up from the couch and walked towards the door, muttering something about paperwork and new recruits. The door swung shut behind him with a click.

After she was sure Ash was gone, Misty let out her emotion flood gate. She slid down and sat on the floor beside the couch. She wrapped her arms around herself tighter and leaned her head against the side of the couch.

"Pikachupi!" Pikachu bounded up beside Misty and looks forlorn to discover its friend crying. "Cha…"

Misty didn't say anything but reaches a hand to ruffle its soft fur. She smiles a sad smile but doesn't feel any better.

_He wants to go back before? As friends?_

Misty decides it would be impossible. She could feel the attraction between them, hot and pulsing like electricity, as it was ten years ago also. Time didn't erase the reactions he excited from her. But she will try damn hard to hide it as much as she can. Being friends will be futile.

_Or does he mean that vague relationship we had…_

Misty frowned at this. During the months before she left, Misty and Ash had this gray relationship. It was in limbo between friends and lovers. They couldn't deny the attraction between them but neither of them wanted to make the first move. An accidental brush of the hand while they walked side by side would cause the pair to blush beet red. Gazing into each other's eyes a second too long. Sly glances in the other's direction.

To be friends, Misty would have to let go any lingering feelings that she might have for Ash. She was still hurt by the past, though, and that would be the biggest obstacle in their relationship.

Misty groans at the frustration of it all. Her emotions were so contradictory right now.

She was attracted to him, but she wanted to stay the hell away.

She cared about him, yet she acts distant.

She wanted things to return to how they were before, but she couldn't forget the past.

One of these days she's going to combust from it all.

* * *

AN: Wow, it's been a while since I posted a chapter. Sorry! I've been busy with events and whatnot. Anyway... Reviews are welcome!


	7. Chapter 7

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokémon.

* * *

Strobe lights moved in synchronization around the room, casting color on the dance floor and sitting area. Bodies moved in tune to the music blasting from the speakers. Bartenders rushed to fill drinks order behind the counter.

Misty sat on a stool at the bar, watching the people dirty dancing on the dance floor. Her right hand was curled around a half-full tumbler. It was her second drink of the night and she was starting to feel herself get light-headed.

Who knew Trainers like to party? One of the rec rooms transformed into club. They just needed an excuse to party and let off steam, so they called this the 'Misty Welcoming Party,' even though the guest of honor hardly knew most of the people in the room. Misty didn't mind though, she needed a drink sooner or later.

"Hey."

Misty glanced to the right to see Brock settling into the seat next to her. He raised a hand to call the bartender over, who immediately abandoned all previous customers to retrieve the commander's drink first. Seconds later, a glass slid across the counter and into Brock's waiting hand. He angled his body towards Misty and raised his drink.

"Cheers," Brock said.

Misty brought her own glass and clinked it to Brock's. Both raised their drinks and finished it. If Misty was going to get through the night, she needed to be a little tipsy. It wasn't often that she caught Brock long enough to have a conversation with him. Time for answers. Misty slammed her tumbler down on the counter and looked at Brock through narrowed eyes.

"I know what you're doing," Misty tried to sound menacing.

Brock feigned innocence. He put his hand over his heart for effect. "Why Misty, I have no idea what you're talking about."

Misty didn't falter. She continued to direct her death glare at him. "_Right_. It's not like you're setting me up with Ash _every_ chance you get. _No_, that would be cruel and unusual of you."

Brock laughed once and turned his body towards the bar. "That obvious, huh?"

"I'm sure you have more important matters to attend to than playing matchmaker with us." She raises one eyebrow. "Or, at least, I HOPE so."

"Oh, but being the great friend that I am, I couldn't let go of this opportunity to get my two best friends to kiss and make up." Brock sighs, "I don't understand why you two are so stubborn. You two obviously still have feelings for each other." Misty blushes at this. "So why not just forget about the past and hook up?"

"One cannot simply _forget_ about the past. History determines how we are today."

"Pish-Posh, sometimes you gotta live in the _now_, Misty." Brock glances sidelong at Misty. "Don't let the present slip away just cause of some shit in the past."

"You've been reading some fortune cookies, huh?"

"Shush, I'm giving you some heart-to-heart advice."

Misty contemplates this for a sec while she stares straight ahead. "I'm not the one he wants,' she said quietly.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Brock doubts that it was nothing but he didn't want to push her. He decides on another topic.

"You know," Brock muses loud enough for Misty to hear, "ever since you came here, Ash has changed." Misty sits quietly as Brock elaborates. "You've probably noticed it too. He usually keeps to himself, never revealing his emotions. He doesn't get close with anyone, except a select few. Ash the Machine." Brock turns to Misty. "Ever since you arrived here, though, he's let some of his walls down. It's a very nice change. I don't even mind if you guys have your infamous fights, anymore! It's a relief to see him like his old self again." Brock pauses. "Thank you."

Misty shakes her head. "I haven't done anything."

"Doesn't matter. Still saying it."

Misty orders another shot for her and Brock. "Cheers," she said as she clinked her glass against his.

* * *

"Brock! Misty!"

Misty glanced back to find Gary pushing through the crowd with a sulking Ash in tow. Brock looked back also and greeted Gary when he came closer.

Gary called the bartender over. "Four shots!"

"Careful, Misty had a few already," Brock chuckles.

"I had like what, three?" Misty contemplates this. Was it her third? Or maybe fifth or sixth... One drink led to another and Misty snapped at Brock when he tried to tell her to quit.

"Pfft, it's a party! Besides, someone here will be watching her." Gary hinted with his eyes at Ash, who glared back. Misty was too out of it to catch the exchange and eyed the shot glasses as the bartender set them down. Gary passed out the drinks to his three friends and one for himself. The four brought their glasses together to toast then tipped it back.

Brock was the first to speak. "I'm surprised you came, Ash. You don't usually come to these things."

Ash glared at Gary, who laughs it off and wraps an arm around his shoulder. "It wasn't easy getting this guy to come. Took a lot of coercing... and threats."

Ash grumbles.

An upbeat song began, luring more people out on the dance floor. Gary stole a quick glance at Ash then smiled a wicked grin.

"So Misty, how about that dance?" Gary held out a hand to Misty. Ash's eyes bugged. Even Brock was taken aback. Misty stares at Gary's hand in confusion. "I asked you earlier at the lab, remember?"

Misty contemplates this for a second before nodding and putting her hand in his. "Sure."

"Sweet."

Gary leads Misty out to the floor. As they brush past Ash, Ash inhales sharply but says nothing. He knows Gary wouldn't try anything. He lets them go without protest and sits down on Misty's abandoned seat.

Brock orders another drink for his friend.

* * *

Gary pulled Misty near the center of the dance floor, where it was impossible to move without rubbing against another person. It didn't take long for Misty to adjust to the beat, swinging her hips with her hands raised high. Gary moved closer and began to dance with her, making sure to ward off any guys that came too close.

Misty didn't know what came over her but she felt bold. Her movements brushed against Gary every so often. She felt empowered, free.

However, she felt this weird prickling sensation on her back, but she was having way too much fun to care. Gary felt it too and glanced over his shoulder to find Ash giving him the death glare. Brock is at his side trying to make conversation. Gary stuck his tongue out and then resumed dancing, making even more exaggerated moves to further aggravate Ash.

* * *

"So how's the progress with Misty?"

Ash remains silent. He watches the redhead and his best friend dancing on the dance floor. Actually, can it even be called dancing? Ash scowls. It's a bunch of people crowded together and rubbing against each other. Sweaty bodies everywhere you move. Body odor assaulting your olfactory nerves once you snap out of your trance.

Oh, but what Ash wouldn't give to trade places with Gary now.

Ash closed his eyes and shook his head as if to erase that thought. His thoughts have been so confusing lately. Did he want to repel Misty away or keep her close? Another drink would be a good idea. He needed to loosen up if he wishes to survive the night.

Ash sighs and pivots in his seat to face the bar again. He takes the glass in hand and glances over at his companion's direction, only to find the tan man staring in return. Blatantly. With no expression. Ash feels like he's being analyzed and it made him nervous. He clears his throat in hopes of interrupting Brock's unnerving gaze.

"Need something, Brock?"

"Go dance with Misty."

Ash gives him a funny look and sarcastically says," Because I do that all the time with her."

Brock pouts, "_Because_ it would really make my day to see two of my oldest friends – "

"No."

"Or maybe if you – "

"No."

"What if she – "

"NO."

"Tch, you're no fun," Brock sighs.

Ash inspects his glass tumbler in the light, turning it this way and that to see different shapes as the light hits a facet of the glass. "Since when have any of your ideas gone right for us? Look at us! Nothing's changed."

Brock stares at Ash's left profile as he plays with the glass in his hands. A nervous reaction? Ash wouldn't meet Brock's eyes, which means this must be a sensitive topic for Ash to avoid it. Brock smirks and shakes his head.

_Nothing's changed? You're blind as a bat, my friend_, thought Brock. _Well, he always was slow._

Brock decides to spare his friend and change the subject to safer grounds. The two talked about recent mission outcomes and Pokémon strategies, neither were appropriate topics at a party but the two were comfortable. It wasn't until a few minutes later that a certain brunette girl bounded over to them.

"Hello Brock! Ash."

The two men looked back to find a girl in a short red dress. The bandanna she usually wears is nowhere to be seen tonight so her shoulder length hair is combed to perfection. She grins cheekily at her two superior officers and friends.

"Hello, May," nods Brock. Ash follows suit but says nothing in return. He offers a small smile. May beams at both. "Funny seeing you here, Ash. You never come to these things." Ash just shrugs in response. "Well, rule number one, Mister Unsociable, no work related topics at a party!" May puts both hands on her hips.

Ash's mouth pulled up on one corner. Leave it to May to point out his socially awkward habits. May hops into the seat next to Ash, who leans back on the bar to give Brock a clear view of May also. May orders a bright blue margarita and sips it before talking.

"Oh hey! Misty's back, right? It's been so long! I haven't seen her yet," May muses. She notices Brock glancing over at Ash and then gives May a knowing look. May smacks the counter top, startling Ash with the sudden loud noise. "No. Way. Have you been hogging her, Ash?"

"Not the way you're thinking – "

"You better share! Misty and I were, like, best friends when we traveled together. Don't you remember?" May hiccupped and places a hand on Ash's upper arm. "Those good old days. When all we had to worry about was your sense of direction and where we were going to sleep at night. Oh! And also our next meal. Hah…"

Ash slightly tensed when May touched him, a reflex action. May was being more talkative than usual. Ash wonders how many drinks she had before she came over.

"You feeling alright, May?"

"NEVER BETTER!" May exclaimed. Suddenly she put both hands on Ash's face and turned it this way and that, looking at every angle. "This face! Get rid of that expression, Mister Grumpy Pants. You have the love of your life within reach yet you still hesitate?! You're such an idiot."

Brock snickers at May's drunken yet truthful words. Ash just sighs and lets May abuse his head, who whips it back and forth.

_This is going to be a long night…_

* * *

Misty stole glances in Ash's direction every few seconds. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was hoping to catch his eye. Misty noticed a brunette girl making her way over to where Ash and Brock was. The girl occupies the seat next to Ash and proceeds to make conversation. Misty raises her eyebrows. From what she gathered, not many people dared to talk to Ash. This girl has guts.

Misty missed a step when the girl puts a hand on Ash's arm. Misty's heel impaled the front of Gary's shoe, who lets out a grunt of pain.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, Gary!"

Gary lifts up a hand to show he was alright. "No big deal. Hardly hurts now. Heh heh." He looks over to see what Misty was so distracted by. "Looks like May just arrived." He snickers at May who is currently strangling Ash left and right.

_May?_

Misty froze. The two of them looked so intimate by the bar. Even Ash lets May touch his face. And look at how wrapped the both are in each other. They're even swaying back and forth. Almost like…

_Lovers?_

Jealousy crept up and slammed into her full force. By now, Misty and Gary have stopped dancing. Misty felt nauseous at the sight of the couple by the bar. Gary noticed that she turned a bit pale and interprets it as exhaustion from dancing. Misty was pulled out of her thoughts as Gary took her hand and tugged her in the direction of the bar.

"Let's go grab some drinks."

Misty lets Gary lead her by the hand in order for them to not be separated. But she barely registered her feet moving her along. Her mind was numb.

* * *

"– More than ten years! Are you a freaking moron?! Who the hell waits that long?" May tries to shake some sense into Ash, who passively accepts the assault. He turns to Brock for help but finds him chatting up a Nurse Joy. He spots Misty and Gary in the crowd returning. Ash mouths the word 'HELP' to Gary who just shrugs in return.

_Thanks, buddy._

Ash's eyes zeroed in on Misty's and Gary's joined hands. Suddenly the world stilled around Ash. May's shaking didn't bother him anymore. He couldn't hear the loud music or the buzzing of chatter around them. All he can focus on was that her hand was touching GARY's.

May noticed that Ash wasn't paying attention to her anymore and stopped her assault to look beside her. She squealed and ran over to Misty to give her a bear hug. Gary decided that it was time to let go of Misty's hand and let the girls have their moment.

Ash closed his eyes. _Control yourself. _

"Misty! I haven't seen you in FOREVER! Why didn't you call me?" May pouted as she continued to hug Misty.

"Sorry, I've been… busy," Misty hopes that the others didn't notice the trembling in her words or hands.

"Well, we're all together again, now! Ooh, it's going to be so much fun having a girl friend around." May gave her another tight squeeze as she sways them back and forth.

"That's... awesome. Actually, I'm a little tired so I'm going to turn in." Misty gently pries May's arms off. She says goodbye to the others and makes her way to the exit.

"Aw… I wanted to hang out a bit longer," May pouted.

Ash takes his leave too without saying goodbye to the others. He follows Misty several feet behind and shoots murderous glances at anyone who comes near her. Gary gives the remaining two a look and waggles his eyebrows suggestively, causing May to giggle.

* * *

The hallway swayed before Misty. It tilted left and right as if she was on a ship and Misty drifted from one wall to the next. The drinks were really getting to her now, doubled by the exhaustion from dancing. Misty tripped over her own feet. Ash's arm shot out to catch her before the floor and her face could meet. Ash set her upright but still held onto her, for fear she'll fall again.

"Ash?" Misty recognized her rescuer after a few moments. "Go back to the party. May is back there." Misty slurred the last part so Ash couldn't catch it. She tries to push him away but to no prevail. He was immovable.

"I got tired. You're drunk. Let me help you." He starts to lead Misty back to their room and Misty follows without protest.

Once they got into the room, Ash helped Misty walk towards the bed. Misty flopped onto it and didn't move. Ash assumed that she passed out. He sighs and proceeds to remove her heels. He drops the death traps beside the bed and sits next to Misty. He turns to look at her but he was not expecting a pair of emerald eyes staring back. It was a while before anyone spoke.

"You know you're probably going to regret this in the morning. The killer hangover and stuff." Ash smirks.

"I'll manage somehow," replies Misty.

_Yeah, you always do._ Ash moves to get off the bed until he felt a hand on his wrist. He looks at her, confused.

"You know, you've gotten really tall."

"You just noticed?"

"And hot."

"I think that's the alcohol talking. Time for you to sleep." Ash grabbed the sheets and covered her up. That's when Misty decided to sit up suddenly, surprising Ash. Their lips were mere inches away and Ash could feel her warm breath blowing gently into the space between them. Ash stopped breathing completely.

"You know," Misty's voice dropped to a low whisper, as if to tell him the world's biggest secret. She kept looking at Ash's mouth. "I've always thought that you were cute."

Ash swallowed. He was paralyzed. He tried to hide his nervousness by a laugh but it came out as a strangled cough. "Only cute?"

"Well, now you've moved on to being very, very hot. Congrats." Misty leaned in to whisper the last part in his ear.

Ash shuddered at her proximity. Her words sent a chill up and down his spine. It wasn't unpleasant. In fact, Ash really liked it. Her low voice was very sexy. But why was he trembling? _He_ was supposed to be the one whispering sweet nothings to her and making her excited and eager…

Okay. The alcohol has totally torn down a chunk of his defenses.

"Misty – "

"I mean, you were like a squirt in the past!" Misty talked in a louder voice. Ash cocked an eyebrow and willed her to go on. "Short, young, and impulsive. You were quite the baby when we first started traveling together."

"Okay, time for bed – "

"But you know, I liked you back then," Misty continued. "You had a great heart. Helping others with no strings attached. Rescuing Pokémon. Saving the world, multiple times I might add." Misty paused and looked at Ash right in the eye. "I really liked that about you.

"And no matter how hard you to hide it, I know those traits are still inside you. You try to hide them but you're not fooling anyone, mister. Stop with the tough guy act and just be yourself." Misty made a stern face to show she was serious.

Ash wanted nothing more than to crush Misty to his chest and hug her until dawn. But he didn't dare move. She had seen right through him with just one look. It was true. He kept people at a distance so there was no way they can be hurt by his line of work. So no one else will be endangered just by having a connection with him. No more deaths… He tried so damn hard, yet Misty still saw through him.

_I wanna kiss her._

Misty stared at his lips. "The most important trait of you is still here. You've just upgraded to a better… hotter… body. Look at you. So popular with the girls now," Misty leaned in closer until Ash could feel her warm breath again. She was so close.

"Girls? Who?" Ash spoke softly.

"Playing dumb? You know who."

"No idea. The only one I want is…" Ash trailed off. Misty brought both of their foreheads together and nuzzled her nose against his.

Ash closed his eyes. He was trying very, very hard not to move. She was drunk, for god's sake! He couldn't take advantage of her. But every movement of hers is sending his senses into overdrive.

Before he could do anything, Misty leaned back on the bed and was softly snoring within seconds.

Ash let out a huge sigh in relief. One more move and he would have been done for. But now that she was at a respectable distance, he could clear his head. He looked at her sleeping form. Her face is free of angry scowls and sadness, which were usually the expressions she reserved for him nowadays. Her lips formed a slight pout. Her milk-white skin seems to glow in the dark. Her hair fanned out around her face. She was truly a beauty.

Ash didn't think when he leaned over to brush a lock of Misty's hair out of her face. It was like watching a movie out of someone's eyes as he watched his hand trace her cheekbones and then rub his thumb over her bottom lip. It was so soft and kissable. Once he realized what he's done, though, he pulled his hand back as though he touched fire.

He looked at his hand in wonder. He couldn't take back what he's done. Ash knew now. He is in deep.

It was like someone has thrown a switch in his head. That somehow there was something to expect from life now. In his mind, he's given up trying to push her away. It's not possible anymore. The redhead has managed to worm her way back into his heart again before he even realized it.

Ash smiled. It touched his eyes and a warm feeling blossomed across his chest as he admitted his hidden affections for Misty. He placed both arms on either side of the sleeping girl's face and leaned in to softly kiss her cheek.

Now it was clear that both of them are still attracted to each other. But what Ash couldn't understand was why Misty insisted on keeping a distance. Ash had tried over and over to try and recall whatever it was that he did to push her away. But he came up with nothing.

The past can go to hell. She was here, with him, _now_. He's not going to waste another second with her.

He wouldn't make the first move though. He was tired of being the one led around. Ash wanted to make Misty approach him first. To admit her feelings first. Only then can he be confident to pursue her openly.

Well, not that he needed confidence but if he were to openly express his feelings now, she would surely reject him.

Absolutely.

Without a doubt.

_Progress_, thought Ash. He would hint to her his feelings. Ash can do the little things. Court her. Until she's ready to admit her undeniable feelings too.

Ash brushed her cheeks with his lips and moves to her ear. He whispers his next words.

"You first."

* * *

First of all, Thank you all for your support. Your words inspire me to keep writing. And I will try to improve my writing and fix the mistakes. Writing is so new to me. Writing a story is so different from writing an essay, so sorry if my words sounds stiff at times. Still Learning.

Reviews make me happy. (hint hint) Next chapter will be full of action :D Like, gun toting, Team Rocket fighting, TRAINERS - Action. Hope you stick around!

FlowerInDarkness


	8. Chapter 8

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN Pokémon.

* * *

Pain.

Head splitting. **Pain.**

Misty groaned and tries to bury her head in the pillow. Why did she decide to drink so much last night? Ash's dark curtains blocked most of the sunlight but it was still too damn bright.

It took several minutes before Misty could rise from the bed, but even when she did, her head felt like it pounded in time to her heartbeat. She looked over to the bedside table and noticed a glass of water and a pill waiting. A scrap of paper was pinned down by the cup.

_An Advil, for the monstrous hangover that you will be no doubt be suffering from when you wake. I didn't want to wake you for morning training unless I want my head severed from your wrath. We'll reschedule for evening training. _

_Come down for lunch._

_Ash._

Misty blinked. Twice. That was a… rather civil note. Very wordy. It didn't suit the current Ash at all. She thought he would've written as little as possible, using only a handful of words. _Training. Tonight. Eat lunch. _

Misty didn't think much of it as she reached over to take the white pill. She downed the glass of water.

_Let's freshen up_, thought Misty. She strolled from the bedroom, across the living room, and into the bathroom. As she moved, she kept an eye out for Ash but he was nowhere to be found._ Probably training somewhere_. Misty hummed a tune while she prepared to shower. For some unknown reason, she couldn't help but feel happy today.

That was a nice thing Ash did for her. Leaving an Advil on the table. It was… thoughtful. The hangover was starting to disappear and ….

_Wait. Was he taunting me?!_

* * *

"Pikachu, use thunderbolt!"

"Umbreon, use quick attack to dodge!"

Pikachu let out a huge electric wave but Umbreon easily dodged it by becoming a blur. Umbreon headed towards Pikachu to tackle but missed when Pikachu used double team to create multiple copies of itself.

Ash stood on one end of the arena while Gary stood on the opposite side. They were in an underground arena, training their Pokémon through battle. Several other Trainers sit in the stands, eager to learn from their superior's techniques and strategy.

Sweat rolled down the side of Ash's face. It was a three-on-three battle and it has lasted through one hour already. Both sides were down to the last Pokémon. Ash let the excitement of battling course through his body, welcoming it, because it made him feel –

_Alive._

Gary could tell there was something different about Ash today. His body leaned forward as if he was going to battle himself. The competitive charge was thick in the air. Gary recognized that glint in Ash's eye. He remembered it from ten years ago. And… was that a smile? Heh. Just a hint. You'd have to look pretty hard to notice that tiny upturning at the corner of his mouth.

This was going to be fun.

"Concentrate, Umbreon!"

The Dark Pokémon closed its eyes and tried to pinpoint the real Pikachu from the illusions. Several seconds later, it shot out to tackle the Pikachu on its right. Pikachu took the hit and was sent flying a few feet but it quickly righted itself in midair.

"Pikachu, use Volt Tackle!"

Pikachu's body glows an eerily yellow color. It goes into a crouch and prepares to charge straight at Umbreon.

"Umbreon, prepare a devastating Shadow Ball!"

"Umbreeee…" Umbreon opens its mouth and dark energy began to form into a ball inside its mouth.

"Pika pika pika pika…" By now Pikachu was on a full-out sprint, like a yellow bullet, heading straight for the awaiting opponent.

"Now!" Shouted both Trainers.

"Chuu!"

"-On!"

A blinding light appeared when the two Pokémon collided. The explosion caused everyone to shield their eyes. The energy from the impact caused a fearsome wind that whipped through the air. Dust clouds filled the arena.

Ash stood patiently, waiting for the dust to settle so he could see who was still standing. Everyone was on edge from the suspense. Two outlines appeared. One laid on the ground and the other was crouched on four legs. Eventually, Ash could make out the zig-zag tail of his favorite Pokémon.

"Umbreon is unable to battle. Pikachu is the winner!" Shouted the judge.

Congratulatory shouts and praises rippled through the crowd. Ash raised a hand to indicate he heard them and went over to Pikachu. He bent down and rubbed his buddy between the ears.

"Chaa…" Pikachu welcomed his touch.

Gary walked over to his Umbreon and petted it. "You were amazing, Umbreon. You deserve a good rest." He brought out his PokeBall and Umbreon returned inside it by a red beam. Gary stood up and walked over to Ash. He outstretched a hand to him. "Good battle."

Ash grinned. "Not so bad yourself."

Gary could hear the gasps of surprise from the spectators. If he looked back, he could see about half of them with their mouths open. Ash didn't smile. Ever. To them it would be like a blind man seeing the sun for the first time.

Ash reached for Gary's hand but grasped air as Gary slyly pulled it back and ran it through his hair.

"Of course, I was holding back, you know. Couldn't let the people see their all mighty Captain get beaten so easily." Gary smugly replied.

"Ha! That made me feel much better. I didn't want to embarrass you by such an easy win to your fan girls. Had to make it interesting." Ash shrugged. "You're welcome." Ash picked himself off and dusted his pants. Pikachu bounded up to sit on Ash's shoulder.

"Ha! Getting a little arrogant there, Ashy-boy."

"It's not arrogance if it's the truth."

"Rematch then."

"Anytime."

"Hm…Let's make it interesting." Gary started walking towards the exit. Ash follows suit.

"How?"

"Winner gets a date with Misty."

"HUH?!"

* * *

Ash sat at the table, glaring into his bowl. Gary sat opposite of him, sporting a smug grin. The cafeteria is abuzz with hungry trainers and the tinkling of silverware against bowls.

_Gary. Misty. Date._

_Misty. At a park. Wearing a dress. With Gary._

_Misty. In a DARK movie theatre. Watching a horror movie. With Gary._

_Misty. At a pool. Sporting a bikini. With Gary._

_Misty. Place. Verb. Gary._

Gary's grin grew wider as Ash's scowl grew deeper. Then a certain brunette made her way to the table and decided to eat her lunch with them.

_MistyGaryDateMistyGaryDateMistyGaryDateMistyGaryDa te_

"Hey guys," May chirped. She looked over to Ash to find him with a giving his bowl of soup the evil eye. She leaned over to Gary and whispered, "What's wrong with the food?"

Gary's grin grew wider. He didn't bother lowering his voice. Instead he made sure he spoke louder than was necessary. "It's not the soup. It's because he knows he's going to lose our next bet."

That seemed to break through Ash's concentration. He snaps his head up at Gary's sentence. "In your dreams!"

"What's the bet," asked May.

"Winner of our next match gets a date with Misty." Gary replied enthusiastically. Ash directs his glare from the bowl to Gary. Gary turns to look a May. He gives her a knowing look and May internally cheers.

"Ooh! I would put my money on Gary."

Ash's jaw drops.

"Sweet. But it isn't about who's going to win. It's about where I'm going to take here _when_ I win."

"Oh! There's this new restaurant up in Goldenrod. People say it's very romantic at night because it's on the highest floor on this tower and you can see the twinkling lights of the city." May sighs dreamily.

"Perfect. So you think I should kiss her after our first date?"

Ash's right eye twitched.

"No no no. You should hint at it during the first date. You know, make her anticipate it and then… BAM!" May made an explosion gesture with her hands that startled Ash but then deadpans, "You don't."

"Whew," relief showered over Ash.

"It will make her want it even more during the second and third dates."

"WHAT?!"

"Ahh, I see," muses Gary. "Playing hard-to-get. Second and third dates. Gotcha."

"No way. There will be no second or any subsequent dates," said Ash.

"But, what if the first date goes good," pouts May. "Naturally, Misty will want more."

"But there won't be any dates because I…" Ash stops when he sees the ridiculously large grins on his friends' faces. "Just eat your soup." Ash stares at his bowl again.

Gary and May erupts into laughter. Tears started forming in the corner of Gary's eyes and May was clutching her sides. Ash tries to sink lower in his seat as more and more curious pair of eyes darted towards their table.

"Hilarious," grumbles Ash. He digs into his soup.

"Oh, Oh! Misty's here!" May waves her hand wildly at the redhead currently in the lunch line. Ash's head snaps up at the mention of her name. He spots her and their eyes lock. Misty raises a hand to wave back at May.

Ash smiles and turns his gaze back towards Gary, who was grinning again.

_Mention this to her and you're dead!_ Ash narrows his eyes for Gary to get the point. Gary just sticks out his bottom lip and shrugs.

_We'll see_, Gary continues his internal laughter at Ash.

Misty finally arrives at the table and barely had time to set her tray down before being tackled by a hug from May.

May squeals, "You're here! I had this weird notion that last night was all a dream, but you're here! We have to catch up soon."

"Yeah. Super." Misty cracks a smile as May lets her go. Misty settles down in her seat. "Hi Gary. Ash." Misty starts eating her salad.

"Afternoon, Misty. You look fresh today."

"Yeah. I… took a shower." _Um… Okay._

"You look positively glowing." Gary earned a swift kick under the table from Ash. Ash glared daggers at Gary. Misty just shrugs and continues eating her salad. She was still lethargic from last night's activities and couldn't muster up the energy to respond. "What did you think of last night, Misty?" Gary makes a face at Ash and gives him an evil grin. Ash can only glare back.

"I don't remember much, actually."

This snaps Ash's attention to Misty. His jaw drops open. Even Gary was surprised. He blinked twice. May quietly sits back and watches Ash's reactions.

_Hmm_, thought May.

"You don't… remember?" Gary questions.

Misty tries to play it off. "Yeah, every time I drink, I wake up with a severe migraine and I don't remember everything from the previous night." She chews her food as she thought. "I remember bits and pieces. Last thing I remember was May giving me a hug and then… nothing."

_NOTHING_, mouths Ash.

"Nothing, as in you don't remember how you got to your room?" May asks.

"Or who helped you?" Gary pitched in.

"Someone helped me?" Now it was Misty's turn to be confused. She rolls her eyes to the top of her head as she tries to remember. Misty missed the look her two friends shot at Ash, who was still shocked. He quickly shook his head back and forth.

_All right, we'll start from scratch. No sweat. Not like we shared an INTIMATE moment where I will remember it for the rest of our lives. NO BIG_, thought Ash.

Ash decided to change the subject. "I have a meeting right after lunch, so let's meet up in front of the gym around 5 o'clock?"

"Sounds good." Misty gives up trying to remember and focuses on the food in front of her.

Gary and May looked at each other, each with an evil grin plastered to their faces.

_Something definitely happened._

* * *

Ash sat on the ground and bent over to stretch his legs. Misty followed his lead and did lunges to warm up. Both were wearing running outfits and comfortable running shoes.

The meeting took forever. There were talks of a potential Team Rocket raid targeting a Pokémon research facility out in the countryside. The facility housed Pokémon kept for observation and protection. With plenty of rare Pokémon that Team Rocket would love to steal.

Of course, TRAINERS would be more than happy to block Team Rocket's schemes.

The meeting dragged on with discussion of strategy and which team will lead the defense to fend off the attack. More information will be needed to thoroughly plan this mission. Everyone present agreed to reconvene the meeting after confirming with the Team Rocket spies of the likelihood of the assault.

Misty bent over to touch her toes and stretch. She had tied her hair into a high ponytail, and it swished with every movement she makes. Ash caught himself being mesmerized by it and cleared his throat. He stood up and nodded to Misty.

"We'll work on cardio today. Since you're now a… Trainer, it'd be good if you get a feel of the whole base." Ash cleared his throat for the umpteenth time. He still couldn't get over the fact the Misty was now a Trainer. "The passage ways can get a little confusing. Just stick with me and try not to get lost."

"Yes, sir."

"Err… Okay, let's go."

The pair takes off. Misty matches Ash step by step and listens to his cues on when to turn. He points out various locations as they jog through the winding halls. Ash decides to run the route five times so Misty can refresh herself where the notable rooms are. Soon, they exhausted conversation topics and they just jogged in silence. Ten minutes later, Misty decided to break the ice.

"So… did I do anything stupid last night?"

Ash looked over at her. "Not much. You just danced with Gary and drank about a gallon of alcohol." _And confessed your childhood crush on me._

"Was that it? Because I feel like I'm missing something," Misty mused. She couldn't put her finger on it and the feeling nagged her all day.

Ash ran a quick debate in his head.

If he were to reveal last night's events, would it make them any closer? Yes. But then Misty would blush red hot, deny it, and then things would become awkward. Fast. She wasn't the type to just leap into his arms. Though Ash wouldn't mind it.

_Ahem_, he came back to the present. _I'll just keep this bit of information to myself for now._

"Err… you tried to undress yourself." Ash threw out the first thing his mind could think of.

"WHAT?" Misty's eyes widened in horror. "Did you see…"

"No! Err… what I mean was, Brock stopped you before you stripped anything off." Ash scrambled to come up with answers. Luckily, Misty thought his nervousness was because of the awkward conversation.

"Oh. That's good. Guess I'll go thank him later."

_Note to self, get Brock to cover for me later_, Ash filed the reminder away.

"Wow, that's embarrassing." Misty hid her blushing face in her hands.

Each lap of the route was approximately one mile long. The base was that expansive and more. Misty calls time out in the middle of the third lap. She bent over and heaved air in and out to catch her breath. Ash patiently waits beside her, barely working up a sweat. Three miles was nothing for this seasoned Trainer.

"Just – gasp – give me a second," said Misty.

Ash watches Misty's breathing convert from being erratic to somewhat calm. _Hmm… We need to work on her endurance._

"Tell you what. Let's have a race." Ash said as Misty stood up straight again. "We're on our third lap. Winner will be the first one to finish lap five. If you win, you can have tomorrow off to recuperate since you've worked oh-so-well."

"And if you win?" Misty raises an eyebrow.

"It's going to get worse. Much worse." Ash grins cheekily to faze her. They don't call him the demon commander for nothing. He's known to work the newcomers to the bone, but the results were spectacular. He produced tough, quick-minded soldiers.

But he didn't want to work Misty too hard. She's just been recruited a few hours ago.

_Am I getting soft? _He vaguely wondered.

_Just with her_, his evil mind laughed. _Shush_, he silenced his conscience.

"You're on, Ketchum." Misty declared proudly.

They both got into a starting stance, slightly leaning forward as if to shoot straight like a rocket.

"Three." Ash started counting.

"Two."

"One."

"GO!" They both shouted.

The two sprinted through the halls, prepared to barrel over any poor, innocent Trainer in their path. Good thing Ash picked this route though, since he knew it would be mostly deserted at this time. The sound of their rapid footsteps echoed through the corridors.

Ash looked over to see Misty keeping up with his pace. He was surprised. She could drive herself to push harder if she wanted to. He was impressed with her guts.

The end of their competition was nearing now. He could see the invisible, imaginary line that marked the finish line. Misty willed her legs to run the speed of light and gained a few inches ahead of Ash. But Ash wasn't about to lose so easily.

He steadily drew closer to her and stuck his leg out.

"Kyaa!"

As expected, Misty tripped and was about to fall face-first onto the floor when Ash's arm shot out and caught her. He whipped her around so he was half-cradling her. Misty was still in shock over what just happened. Her wide eyes raised up to meet Ash's mischievous eyes and smirk. She was still numb when he properly set her on her feet and started to take off again.

Misty snapped out of it a half second later, but it was too late. Ash was too far ahead to catch up. Ash finished the race and waited for Misty to reach him. The second she caught up, Misty shoved both hands at Ash but he barely budged.

"You ass! That was cheating."

"Hey, we never established any rules," Ash shrugged. "Besides, that was a lesson for you. Don't assume the enemy will play by the rules. Expect the unexpected." He grinned.

"Hmph!" Misty crossed her arms and continued being mad at him.

_Clap Clap _"Good game, guys."

Ash and Misty turned to the man hiding around the corner. Gary stepped out from the shadows and walked towards them.

"How long have you been standing there?" Ash raised an eyebrow.

"Since the last two laps."

"Don't you have some work to do?" Ash crossed his arms.

"Heh. Watching you two is much more entertaining." Gary smirked as Ash narrowed his eyes. "But I do have some news."

Gary took on a more serious aura. Ash and Misty noticed it too and straightened up.

"The scouts reported back. Team Rocket's attack is set for the day after tomorrow. Team Satoshi is to lead the defense."

* * *

A/N:

Hellos!

Yeah... I promised to add some action in Chapter 8, but then I decided I wanted to add a few more Ash and Misty scenes before the big mission. Next Chapter... I promise! I'll go all out and make it even extra long. ^^

Moving on, thanks for all your reviews! You give me the drive to write everyday.

Reviews make me happy. (stareeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...)

FlowerInDarkness


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